Cape



Sept. 25, 1956 M. GRABILL 2,763,868

CAPE

Filed Nov. 5, 1954 JNVEN TOR. mix y EfB/Afi United States Patent CAPE Maria Grabill, New York, N. Y.

Application November 5, 1954, Serial No. 467,196

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-88) This invention relates to outer garments and protectors, and the like, and particularly to a special cape.

The main object of my invention is to provide an outer upper garment of special design and construction that displays several advantages over known capes and protectors and similar garments.

Another object of the invention is to have such a cape or the like that is reversible and equally serviceable on either side.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cape or similar garment that consists of box pleated fabric capable of being stretched and adjusted to suit the wearer.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a cape with a collar with front tie bands.

It is also an object to have the cape adapted to be modified with respect to the collar, so that the same may be straight, high or folded back and rounded in front or of some other form.

It is likewise an object to impart a special style to the cape of this invention, as by lengthening the rear edge downward.

It is an important object withal to introduce a novel and ornamental cape that has an attractive appearance both from the standpoint of form and design of garment and of character of the fabric and its ready shaping to the human form and figure due to its square pleated construction and the nature and fit as well as the particular form of the collar.

Other objects and advantages of my new cape will appear in further detail as the specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for a proper appreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure l is a general perspective view of the cape showing it in effective position when worn;

Figure 2 is another perspective view of the cape alone illustrating a modification in regard to the collar thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the upper portion of the novel cape when equipped with a wide or high collar;

Figure 4 is a similar fragmentary view of the cape showing a wide or high collar when folded down or over to present a double effect;

Figure 5 is an inside fragmentary view of the upper part of the cape displaying the collar and hook and eye fastenings; and

Figure 6 is a reduced perspective view as seen from the rear in Figure 1 showing the cape as actually Worn.

Throughoutthe views, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

It is quite well known that in the field of fashion, style and clothes in particular, it is always important to present some striking appeal to the eye and hand in .any garment to be saleable, and especially is it necessary that it serve a definite use in its specific field. This is particularly true of protective gar'nfients such as capes and the like, but such a partial garment may be not only 2,763,868 Patented Sept. 25, 1956 'ice wearing it to excellent advantage, which is highly desirable.

Upon considering this problem, it has occurred to me that a cape should primarily be made of novel fabric and the cape as a whole of rearwardly lengthened form while being provided with a collar and fastening means therefor. As a result, I have succeeded in producing a novel and appealing as well as useful cape as already outlined, which I shall now proceed to describe in detail in the following.

Hence, in the practice of my invention, a cape, generally indicated at 7 in the drawing is preferably woven of a special fabric in the form of a square or box pleat construction as indicated at 8 forming the deep fiat portions, the substantially parallel opposite sides 9 and 10 forming outwardly open channels with the inner flats 8, 8. At the outer edges of the sides just mentioned are flat outer portions of substantially the same width as the inner fiat portions 8. This is in contrast with ordinary accordion pleating, although such pleating could also be used in certain instances.

However, the present square pleating is definitely a feature of novelty and appeal of this invention, for it makes the fabric fall or droop in an especially facile manner to conform to the figure of the wearer. The front vertical edges 11, 12 of fabric 12 are cut substantially square at the lower edge 13, but rearwardly, the cape has a depending portion 14 or drooping rear edge extending at least to the waist of the wearer at 15, or even lower, if desired. The cape has two converging, mating vertical front side edges the upper end of which is connected by a relating short upper edge and the lower end of the side edges is connected by a relatively large bottom edge.

At the upper portion 16 of the cape, it narrows or converges and terminates in a collar 17, which in Figures 1 and 6 is lengthened at both ends into a pair of depending tie bands 18 and 19 adapted to be tied or merely crossed and looped once as at 20 in the first view. The collar is, of course of flexible fabric or other suitable material that does not stretch to any great extent but is securely sewed to the cape fabric 12, so that the cape as a whole may readily be put on as best seen in Figures 1 and 6. Due to its yielding character deriving from its square pleating, this cape falls into shape at the region of the shoulder portions 21, 22 and at the rear 14 while the collar 17 fits about the neck 23.

As shown in Figure 2, the collar 24 is limited to the size of the upper end of the cape fabric and has at one end 25 a button 26 and at the other end 27 a button hole 28 for this button.

In Figure 5, the collar 29 has the hook 30 and corresponding eye member 31 instead of the button and button hole mentioned which members 30 and 31 are secured.

to the bottom portion of the collar.

In Figure 3, a high or wide collar 32 fits about the neck 23 in such manner as to keep it warm by maximum coverage, but in Figure 4, the collar is turned over and down outward to form a doubled effect at 33. In either case, the collar of Figures 3 and 4 may have hook and eye fasteners, or even a button and hole as described in connection with the collars of Figures 2 and 5, if desired.

Due to its square or box pleated construction, the cape as a whole is reversible at will.

Manifestly, variations may be resorted to, and parts and features may be modified or used without others within the scope of the appended claim.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim:

A cape of the character indicated, characterized by having a piece of fabric having two converging mating vertical front side edges, the upper end of said side edges being connected by a relatively short upper edge and the the upper edge' of said fabric' piece," and"aplura1ity"of box pleats in said fabric piece extending from top to bottom throughout the entire width of said fabric, a pair of cooperative;complementary fastenerson' adjacent end edges of thsaid-collar fastened alongth'e'bottom portion thereof, so that the said collar when secured in position may be worn with the upper portion'turned down or in an upright position;

M IJNITE]? Sflf'tfES PATENTS Woodley Oct. 6, 1925 Freedman Feb. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain 1904 

